Throughout this application, various publications may be referenced by Arabic numerals in brackets. Full citations for these publications may be found at the end of the Detailed Description of the Invention. The disclosures of all publications cited herein are in their entirety hereby incorporated by reference into this application to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.
Kaposi""s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a new human herpesvirus (HHV8) believed to cause Kaposi""s sarcoma (KS) [1,2].
Kaposi""s sarcoma is the most common neoplasm occurring in persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Approximately 15-20% of AIDS patients develop this neoplasm which rarely occurs in immunocompetent individuals. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that AIDS-associated KS (AIDS-KS) has an infectious etiology. Gay and bisexual AIDS patients are approximately twenty times more likely than hemophiliac AIDS patients to develop KS, and KS may be associated with specific sexual practices among gay men with AIDS. KS is uncommon among adult AIDS patients infected through heterosexual or parenteral HIV transmission, or among pediatric AIDS patients infected through vertical HIV transmission. Agents previously suspected of causing KS include cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B virus, human papillomavirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Mycoplasma penetrans. Non-infectious environmental agents, such as nitrite inhalants, also have been proposed to play a role in KS tumorigenesis. Extensive investigations, however, have not demonstrated an etiologic association between any of these agents and AIDS-KS.
This invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule which encodes Kaposi""s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) polypeptides. This invention provides an isolated polypeptide molecule of KSHV. This invention provides an antibody specific to the polypeptide. Antisense and triplex oligonucleotide molecules are also provided. This invention provides a vaccine for Kaposi""s Sarcoma (KS). This invention provides methods of vaccination, prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment of a subject with KS and of detecting expression of a DNA virus associated with Kaposi""s sarcoma in a cell.